News

Flash: Golden Gate Fields Threatens Lawsuit

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday May 30, 2006

Stop that initiative or we’ll sue, an attorney for Golden Gate Fields has warned Albany officials. Citizens for the Albany Shoreline (CAS) filed the initiative in question, an attempt to stop shoreline development, with Albany City Clerk Jacqueline Bucholz on May 16. -more-


Flash: Caltrans Nixs Ashby Bart Planning Grant

Tuesday May 30, 2006

The City of Berkeley will not get a Caltrans Community-based Transit Planning Grant to plan a large condo development for the west parking lot of the Ashby BART station. Winning cities were posted on the Caltrans web site late Friday afternoon, and Berkeley was not among them. -more-


Diaz Sets Out to Save Berkeley Alternative

By Suzanne La Barre
Tuesday May 30, 2006

As a teacher for a GED program in San Francisco, Victor Diaz floated a novel notion: He would prepare students to earn high school diplomas. -more-


Confusion Surrounds Possible Eviction of Nexus Collective

By Ricghard Brenneman
Tuesday May 30, 2006

The Nexus Institute, a prominent West Berkeley artists’ collective, faces eviction from its home of 20 years when their lease expires Thursday. -more-


Commission Blasts Review of Mayor’s Landmarks Proposal

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday May 30, 2006

“All these years I’ve been speaking about the Landmarks Demolitions Ordinance, and here it is,” said Carrie Olson. -more-


BUSD Rebuffs City Review Process

By Suzanne La Barre
Tuesday May 30, 2006

Development of a portion of a defunct Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) campus will move forward without city review, whether city officials and community members like it or not. -more-


Landmarks, Downtown Plan Panel Hold Joint Meeting

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday May 30, 2006

DoubleTree Hotel Workers Protest Stalled Negotiations

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday May 30, 2006

Billed as a wake-up call to management, some 80 DoubleTree Hotel workers and their supporters held a 6:30 a.m. rally Friday, circling the hotel at the Marina with chants and drums, in an attempt to advance what their union, Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees 2850, says are “stalled” contract negotiations. -more-


Shattuck Cinemas Employees To Vote on Forming a Union

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday May 30, 2006

Workers at the downtown Shattuck Cinemas, owned by Landmark Theaters, who earn just above minimum wage with no health benefits, will have their say about whether they form a union. -more-


OUSD Postpones Trustee Meeting Over Sale of Properties

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday May 30, 2006

The state-appointed administrator of the Oakland Unified School District has postponed a meeting with OUSD Advisory Trustees, leaving trustees in the dark as to the future of nearly 10 acres of valuable midtown district properties, including the district administration headquarters. -more-


PRC Reviews Police Policies in Case of Stolen Drug Evidence

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday May 30, 2006

The Police Review Commission on Wednesday established a subcommittee to review police policies related to the case of convicted felon Sgt. Cary Kent, who stole drugs from the police evidence vault of which he was in charge. -more-


A Guide to Ballot Measures in the June Election

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday May 30, 2006

The last two times Alameda County voters have gone to the polls, they were inundated with ballot measures (eight state propositions along with local measures in Albany and Emeryville in the off-year election in November 2005; 16 state propositions along with 13 Berkeley, one Albany, two Emeryville, and two Oakland measures, as well as special measures for BART, AC Transit, and the East Bay Regional Park District in the general election of November 2004). -more-


Superintendent, Secretary of State Races Heat Up

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Tuesday May 30, 2006

The race for the Democratic nomination for California attorney general has become something of a referendum on Oakland, with candidates Rocky Delgadillo and Jerry Brown debating over how good a job Brown has done in his two terms as Oakland mayor. -more-


Planners Tackle Creeks Group Representation, Stadium

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Tuesday May 30, 2006

The Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday centered on two main issues. -more-


A Wake-Up Call for Telegraph Avenue

By Judith Scherr
Tuesday May 30, 2006

Calling the looming closure of Cody’s Books on Telegraph Avenue a “wake-up call,” Councilmember Kriss Worthington has announced a community rally to save the celebrated bookstore and support Telegraph Avenue area businesses. -more-


Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Tuesday May 30, 2006

May 13 -more-


Flash: Caltrans Nixs Ashby Bart Planning Grant

Friday May 26, 2006

The City of Berkeley will not get a Caltrans Community-based Transit Planning Grant to plan a large condo development for the west parking lot of the Ashby BART station. Winning cities were posted on the Caltrans web site late Friday afternoon, and Berkeley was not among them. -more-


Landlords Blamed for Telegraph’s Troubles

By Judith Scherr
Friday May 26, 2006

Responding to a package of proposals aimed at shoring up struggling businesses on Telegraph Avenue—more police, social services, better marketing, upgraded facades, brighter lighting, faster permitting and a new green machine to scrub the sidewalks—Marc Weinstein, owner of Amoeba Music, shared a unique perspective on the Avenue’s economic downturn at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. -more-


Jeers Greet Ashby BART Task Force Members at First Meeting

By Richard Brenneman
Friday May 26, 2006

Tempers flared and jeers erupted Monday night at the first public meeting of the task force outlining the scope of a major private development on public land. -more-


Budget Crunch Kills Laney Child Center

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor
Friday May 26, 2006

A group of Laney College students received an unpleasant surprise in the mail earlier this month: a notice that because of budget problems, the Laney College Children’s Center was closing its infant and toddler day care program effective the end of this school year. -more-


Friends Remember Andrew Martinez

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Friday May 26, 2006

Andrew Martinez’s funeral was Thursday, but a memorial will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. in People’s Park. -more-


Berkeley High Student Elections Hit Rules Impasse

By Suzanne La Barre
Friday May 26, 2006

Students are set to vote in the Berkeley High School elections Wednesday, but a communications snafu is casting a shadow over the democratic process. -more-


Spanish-Speaking Families Warned to Skip Demonstrations

By Suzanne La Barre
Friday May 26, 2006

More than 200 Spanish-speaking parents and students received calls from Berkeley schools late last month, urging students to attend school May 1 or suffer consequences. -more-


Council Postpones Finance Law, Votes Yes on Rebuilding

By Judith Scherr
Friday May 26, 2006

Public financing of election campaigns is one way to shield public officials from the influence of big money. But when the question of placing a measure on Berkeley’s November ballot calling for public financing for all local elected offices came before the City Council Tuesday, councilmembers hesitated. -more-


Newcomer Steps Into Mayor’s Race

By Judith Scherr
Friday May 26, 2006

A recent Stanford grad, Christian Pecaut, 25, is ready to change the world. He wants to start as Berkeley’s next mayor. -more-


Willa Klug Baum, 1926-2006

By Brandon Baum
Friday May 26, 2006

Willa Klug Baum, an internationally respected oral historian, passed away on May 18, 2006, following back surgery. Her pioneering work in oral history methodology and interview techniques served as the foundation for the establishment and growth of oral history as a unique academic discipline. -more-


Fire Department Log

By Richard Brenneman
Friday May 26, 2006

Power outage -more-


Police Blotter

By Richard Brenneman
Friday May 26, 2006

May 5 -more-